Human Resource Communication Pays Off

Written by John T. Mooney


HR COMMUNICATION PAYS OFF Human Resource Communications and Corporate Communications – are they one inrepparttar same? Both plan and develop written communication strategies to furtherrepparttar 105084 understanding and perceptions of their audience. Both provide counsel and editorial support for management communications.

Business communications transmits and manages messages that inform, persuade and collaborate by speakingrepparttar 105085 language ofrepparttar 105086 company. HR Communications creates a “one company” culture, integrates acquisitions and facilitates information sharing company wide. Both work atrepparttar 105087 highest levels ofrepparttar 105088 organization, aligned with senior management andrepparttar 105089 board.

The most successful HR professionals are consummate communicators. Typically their organizations over communicate with all constituents. Their leadership styles transmitrepparttar 105090 traditions and values of their company. You often find a strategic HR function whenrepparttar 105091 spoken and written words parallel leadership actions.

Human Resource Communications is a subset of our corporate culture. Corporate cultures determine communication styles. Cultures as diverse as a business headquarters viewed as a traditional downward style with an abundance of males in dark suits and white starched shirts to other companies which express their identity by polo’s with logo’s and scores of identical sites aroundrepparttar 105092 country.

Which ofrepparttar 105093 three following communication styles dominate your culture?

A.Downward – helping employees perform their jobs B.Upward – senior management and board level C.Horizontal – selling your value proposition and merging cultures

HR COMMUNICATIONS ARE SPECIALIZED Human Resource professionals uniquely position themselves at bothrepparttar 105094 start point and finishing point ofrepparttar 105095 communication chain. New hire orientation and policy and procedure manuals exemplify downward communication intended to help employees perform their jobs. Employee opinion polls, employee focus groups and exit interviews deliver information upward to solve problems and make executive decisions. Employee newsletters help work teams requiring a coordinated action between units or locations.

How well is HR information exchanged in your company?

Human Resource Communications Consultants manage and directrepparttar 105096 planning, creation and execution of communication strategies to furtherrepparttar 105097 understanding and perception of HR policies, procedures, programs or initiatives. This often involves conceptualizing, researching, writing, editing and design/production of materials. Either print or electronic, projects often involve web pages (internet and intranet) and e-newsletters. HTML experience and knowledge of Dreamweaver and other graphic programs will serve this function well by providingrepparttar 105098 HR Communication Consultant a larger repertoire of up-to-date tools.

Knowledge is Power ... So, keep your mouth closed to keep it from getting away!

Written by Edward B. Toupin


Did you ever wonder why it sometimes seems that communications is lacking within an organization or corporate culture? It is one of those frustrating situations that appear to put a halt to positive productivity. You meander around trying to gather hacked information that you feel is important, yetrepparttar one person that should knowrepparttar 105082 whole story "doesn't know a thing." Then, atrepparttar 105083 last minute,repparttar 105084 entire world shifts, andrepparttar 105085 one person that "didn't know" comes out ofrepparttar 105086 shadows and becomesrepparttar 105087 hero because they knewrepparttar 105088 answer.

One ofrepparttar 105089 reasons for such lack of information is "power." It isrepparttar 105090 ability to hold something back from someone and use that hidden knowledge to perform an action or create an imbalance to accomplish a task. If someone knows something and doesn't tell yourepparttar 105091 whole story, two ofrepparttar 105092 more common reasons are: Need to Know and Power Plays.

---Need to Know---

With each individual corporate entity comes a corporate vision and a mission. The visions of Corporate America are to make money, survive, and advance technology, healthcare, etc. This vision and mission then trickles downrepparttar 105093 ranks ofrepparttar 105094 individual corporations and is pieced out and delegated to each subordinate level. Each individual person contributes by becoming involved in one or more of these visions. In most cases, one person won't knowrepparttar 105095 "big picture"; however, they do know that their piece ofrepparttar 105096 pie will help to moverepparttar 105097 company toward it ultimate vision.

The job of a manager is to take a piece of this overall corporate vision and mission and develop a vision for his group and a mission for his subordinates. This manager breaks his part ofrepparttar 105098 mission into feasible projects that, upon completion, bringrepparttar 105099 department, group, and company closer to its vision. The only person that usually knowsrepparttar 105100 whole picture is your manager. Above him, only his manager knowsrepparttar 105101 whole picture for his subordinate managers. This, until it ripples back up torepparttar 105102 macro-vision of Corporate America.

All of this, just to explain a simple idea? But, it is essential to know why you're rarely given a larger picture ofrepparttar 105103 piece that you happen to be working on. Three ofrepparttar 105104 more important reasons are security, control, and focus.

* Security: If you knowrepparttar 105105 whole picture, then you could potentially take off and dorepparttar 105106 same thing somewhere else. By only knowing a small piece ofrepparttar 105107 whole puzzle,repparttar 105108 company is less concerned that you would jeopardize their market advantage.

* Control: If you knowrepparttar 105109 whole picture, then why would you need a manager? Somewhere in there, a manager must exist to ensure that everything that his subordinates are doing is directed toward a particular objective. Things have to get done and pieces have to fit together. Inrepparttar 105110 middle, your manager knows everything that is important to your group and department and is able to controlrepparttar 105111 individuals inrepparttar 105112 group by beingrepparttar 105113 central point of contact for information.

* Focus: By knowing too much, managers are concerned that you might lose focus on your own piece ofrepparttar 105114 puzzle. I've seen subordinates who knew everything about everything and they were so busy critiquing and mingling in worlds not pertaining to their work that they never completed anything that was assigned to them. It is essential to maintain focus on your specific objectives to complete your part of your group's mission successfully.

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